Ashes and Soil

Ashes to Ashes

The words….the sentiment….the mark across our foreheads

Leave us standing in the darkness

Pulls us into the grit of  uncertainty

Acknowledges the grief that swells within.

Your ashes have left us grieving.

empty

       wandering in silence.

                  standing in the shadows.

And yet, here in the shadows 

      of these trees, 

      we find new life.

A life that rises from the soil

A soil that nourishes in ways that we cannot see

A soil that births something new out of devastation

A soil that reveals beauty in the movements of the season.

Here in the shadows, 

we find a sliver of light reigning through.

We find the strength of your character held among the black walnut, elm, ash, and poplar trees 

We feel you envelop us through the thick, rich foliage that spreads across the ground.

We hear your song of praise as the birds call to one another

We experience the love that has gently cradled us through the swaying of the leaves

We stand not in the ashes of your leaving but in the soil of your planting.

The soil that enriched our lives at every turn.

The soil that embraced us even when we were out of balance. 

The soil that extended beauty into our lives on the cloudiest of days.

Dad,

Find your peace here in the sunlit path and gentle breeze

Find company in those surrounding you in this place

Find light in the movement of the sun.

Find the creativity and fulfilment of your dreams that lie deep within the trees

Find your new beginning here within the soil.

Today, we plant ourselves in the soil of your love and leave forever transformed by the seasons we shared.